Green Party of the UK Officially Classifies Zionism as Racism at Annual Conference

• According to the motion, Zionism would be treated as any other form of racism
• The party backs the establishment of a single democratic Palestinian State across historic Palestine

The UK’s left-wing Green party voted at its annual conference to define Zionism as racism, drawing sharp condemnation from British Jewish groups and the Israeli government. With 1,022 members voting in favour and 813 against, the motion also affirms support for a single democratic Palestinian State in all of historic Palestine. A Green spokesperson noted the debate had been “serious and deeply felt” among membership.

Under the leadership of Zack Polanski, the party has attracted voters dissatisfied with the centre-left Labour government’s stance on the Israel-Hamas war. However, Polanski’s popularity has faced recent scrutiny following several missteps. Despite calls from three Jewish community organisations that the motion could be seen as overtly antisemitic and raise safety concerns for British Jews, Polanski earlier stated that the “displacement and genocide of the Palestinian people” was “clearly racism”.

The divide was highlighted by Polanski’s decision to skip the vote, even as he acknowledged the motion’s stance. The party, which holds five of 650 parliamentary seats, has been split on the issue, with at least three Green MPs opposing the resolution. Israel’s foreign ministry condemned the policy as going “far beyond the boundaries of legitimate political debate”, urging all British parties, particularly the governing Labour Party, to reject it unequivocally. UN investigators have accused Israel of committing “genocide” in Gaza, a claim Israel rejects.

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